Good Enough vs Perfection....do you struggle too?

I'm so glad I'm not alone!  Something just told me I'd be in very good company with my struggle to integrate these polarities.

Warning: Photo Heavy Post!  You know if I have not blogged in a few days that I have all these blogs posts and photos all stored up in my mind..  I was thinking about sticking a USB into my ear to see if I could just download my blog posts directly from my brain to the computer...that would be PERFECT!  (If anyone dares to e-mail me and tell me this technology is already available....I will flip out!)

I changed the layout of this quilt a bit...here is the new layout.  The Union Jack strip on the right is actually three separate pieces I cut from the bottom of the panel.   Joining the three pieces became a real challenge....how to get those darn things to join up was no easy feat....at least not for me.

 

Here are the two places that I joined them ....mind you...I put these together no less than three or four times. I used pins to line them up and I even went as far as to use double sided tape.  Look how badly they lined up.


What do you do in these circumstances?  Whens something isn't quite working out the way you want it to and you've sewn and unsewn over and over again?  I tried a glass of wine....nope...didn't work.  Then....I did what any reasonable person would do....I called Waldo and asked her if she would come to the rescue....


 

 Waldo to the rescue :)

 She suggested we hand sew/applique the pieces in place....WHY didn't I think of that?  Look  how nicely it came out.  I did ask her to do the first one...and then I did the second seam...I was feeling like a weenie.  See what the struggle for perfection can reduce an otherwise resourceful person to?  I'm sticking with "Good Enough" and to H E double hockey sticks with Perfection!!! (you may need to remind me of this from time to time...and I'll be kind and do the same for you :)

Now the "Perfection Thing" has passed (laughing under my breath) ...I went on to do some machine embroidery.  The embroidery machine I had been using was borrowed and I had to return it yesterday....soooooo...you know what that means....get it all done quick.

 This is a Floriani Design and all of these are using Floriani Threads.   Ain't she purdy?

Another purdy one :)

The next one....well......lets just say that the universe was checking to see how well I have learned my lesson about perfection.

The top thread must have got caught in the bobbin...or some such thing...and I had to remove the design from the machine.   When I put it back in....look what happened.  The red area on the hummingbirds chest....that is supposed to be up on the flower and the big blue dot on the birds head....that was supposed to be in the center of the flower.  I am pleased to report that I will applique some fabric over this baby and make it work.  Anyone says anything...ever....I'll just say that's how it was supposed to be!  Ahhhh...I'm feeling the freedom :)

I told you there would be a lot....what can I say....I have not posted to my blog in 4 days!!!

Look what I got in the mail on Monday:

 A travel holder for my curling iron....isn't it beautiful?

My girlfriend, Jean, had made one and posted about  it here.  She offered to make me one so of course I said...oh yeah baby! :)  Look how beautiful she embellished it.  The button and flower really takes this curling iron cover from a utilitarian item and transforms it into a zippy piece of traveling art.

If you are still reading....I'm almost shocked!!!

Last evening I had to run to my friend Diane's house for a favor.  She had a belated birthday gift for me.  I was so surprised.  Look what she has made for me:

A snap purse made from Marcia Derse fabrics.  I had goose bumps and lots of them too.

 

Now I have two "Derse Purse's"....I think we should start calling them Derse Pursey's ...no...sounds dumb doesn't it?  That happens sometimes.  

 But wait...there was more....can you believe this?

 The first one says, Rise and Whine and the second one says, Put on your big girl panties on and deal with it.  Too funny...I just love them.

Lots of presents....what a way to start the week ay?  I am one very lucky lady :)

As I was leaving Diane's house I saw this on the table....I couldn't help myself....had to take a pix of it to share with all of you:

Hope it leaves you giggling too.

Smiles,
Kelly

Latest Project

I am on a roll here....this is my third quilt in 2 weeks...oh please...hold your applause :)

These fabrics have been waiting for the right "energy" (meaning I need deadlines to get my butt movin').  Here are some of the lay out ideas I've played with:

I'll be using white between the blocks and perhaps add some red or blue too...have not decided.  Which one do you like the best?

Smiles,
Kelly

How Do You Store Your Bobbins?

There are so many different ways to store bobbins and one method that I prefer is to keep the bobbin with the spool of thread that I wound the bobbin from.  I have mainly used two types of "bobbin keeps" if you will.  (I'm not referring to all bobbin storage...just how I keep these bobbins with their spools.)

 Handi-Bobs fit into the end of a spool of thread as shown.  I like them because I can keep the bobbin on the spool and still put the spool of thread back on the wooden thread pegs I have to store my threads.

I also use Bobbin Mates.  The Bobbin Mates are pushed into the end of the spool of thread and then the bobbin is placed on top of the blue peg. 

My problem has been what do you do with spools of thread with larger holes in their spools?

 As you can clearly see....not all thread spools have the same size holes in the spools.  So now what???


The other day,  I received a newsletter from Marci Baker at Alicia's Attic.  The title was, Keeping Your Bobbins and Spools Together.     I had to see how they were keeping their bobbins together so I clicked on the newsletter and I was pleasantly surprised by their idea.

They had used their Q-Tools Cutting Edge Strips as bobbin holders.  I thought...what a GENIUS idea!  (you can click on the link above to read the entire newsletter)  This method works wonderfully in spools with openings that are narrower than the Cutting or Sewing Edge Strips.

In this photo you'll see I used one of Alicia's Attic's Sewing Edge Strips (because I had it handy) in a spool of Aurifil Thread and sure enough....it worked wonderfully.  The Handi-Bobs and the Bobbin Mates don't fit the top of a large spool of Aurifil Thread.

But what about those spools with larger openings? 

The Cutting Edge Strips and Sewing Edge Strips are too narrow for this cone and a number of other spools I have.  Now what?

I walked around my sewing studio wondering what would expand into a spool of thread and still hold a bobbin.  Then it hit me....a pipe cleaner would work.  I took out a pipe cleaner (yes I had one...I keep tons of do-dah....I told you that before :) and attempted to get it to hold a bobbin and stay in the larger opening on this cone of thread.

I'm no engineer....just quickly wadded the pipe cleaner and put a bobbin on one end, then stuffed it into the opening in the thread cone.

 

The pipe cleaner method worked well in all the spools that had larger openings.  How cool is that?

 

Then I wondered if the bobbin would hold if I tipped it upside down.  You can see for yourself....it stayed in there just fine.

The next issue I had was wondering if the pipe cleaner would work with the thread rack I use.   I can't just put the bobbin on top of the wooden dowel to keep the bobbin with the thread because the dowel is too wide for the holes in the bobbins I use.  Will the pipe cleaner be compatible?

 

Once I put the spool of thread on the thread rack the pipe cleaner popped out and onto the floor.   Darn....but wait....the pipe cleaner is flexible so I tried to put it on after the thread was on the dowel...

 and it worked!!! How cool is that?  I was tickled that I had thought of this idea....my idea was sparked by the newsletter I received from Alicia's Attic. 

How do you keep your bobbins with your spools of thread?  I just gotta know.

Smiles,
Kelly

Lucky Me

After finishing my "secret project" I decided to use 108" fabric for the back of the "secret project."  Off to the Quilt Foundry, my LQS.  I know Lisa carries several bolts of 108" fabrics and I was hopeful she had something that would work.

The street and parking lot was full of cars so I knew something fun was going on inside.  Little did I know I'd have my socks blown off!!!

Lisa, the owner, and 10 or 12 other gals were in the middle of a class with Sue Wilson, Certified Instructor for Judy Niemeyer Quilting. The class project was Sunflower Illusions.

Wow....isn't this absolutely magnificent?  Paper piecing is something I'd like to learn more about and I could believe my LQS had this class and I wasn't signed up.  Talk about kick myself!!!  (Signing up for classes is something I avoid ...my ignorant reasoning...I already have so many UFO's I need to get those done first.)

 If I had seen all these paper patterns before the class I would have instantly said, "no way I could manage to do that."  Watching all those women working on their Sunflower Illusions were absolutely amazing.

While I was admiring every one's choice of fabric (100% true) you know the one that drew me over quickly....yep...the one with Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  I was careful not to allow myself to drool on the block...some how I don't think they girls would have appreciated my saliva on their work.

Sue Wilson, the teacher, was so sweet...she let me look at her samples and even held up one for me to photograph.  She was patient too....lol....because you know I wanted to watch what she was doing too.

Sue had 30 pieces of fabric in a stack and she cut them all out at one time.  I've never seen anyone do that before so I was very impressed. 

Talk about wild....all those pieces cut and ready to go!  Sue told me that Judy Niemeyer has her own methods of doing foundation paper piecing and the  process certainly looked much more manageable that I had imagined.  

Yep...I got my 108" backing fabric....but I also left with a fascination for foundation paper piecing AND regret for not having signed up for that class.  But that doesn't mean I won't be looking up another class soon.

Smiles,

Kelly

Quilted Gifts from your Scraps & Stash Book Review

It seems like every time I turn around there is another birthday, wedding, shower or some life event where I want to give something personal....something that I have made. Both of my brothers have birthday's in April and my sister and mother have birthday's in May. That's just my family...not my husbands or my own family. Do you ever feel like you had a list of fun things to make and give on those special days?

I've had the pleasure of reviewing Quilted Gifts from your Scraps & Stash for House of White Birches and this book is just the ticket for those special occasions.  

 Quilted Gifts from your Scraps & Stash

One of the cool things I like about this book is how the projects are categorized.  They are listed under one of the following headings: "5-Hour Favorites, 10 Hour Treats, 17 Hour Sensations, 24 Hour Treasures and Take Your Time."  Given I am the queen of the last minute and the fly by the seat of your pants type,  these headings really serve to sober me up.  I think everything will "not take that long."  Why?  Who knows why but I do know that everything takes longer than I thought it would :)

There are a lot of gift project books out there and I've had the pleasure of reviewing a few on my blog.  I'd add this book to the list of  "great project books" because of the variety of projects included.  There are projects for all folks...men, women and children. 

Check out these fun coasters.  "Charming Coasters" are a beginners level project with good directions as well as diagrams.  I have to say these are some of the most cheerful coasters I've seen in a long time.  Although these are really cute....I can see them being made for both of my brothers depending on the fabric I would choose. 

 The "Mini Dresden Ornament" is another project that I really loved.  We all have those holiday gift exchanges in our guilds or families.  I can see this being done in any number of different fabrics and given as a wonderful gift.  This is one of those hand projects that you can have sitting next to your chair or in the car.  By the end of the year you could probably have 4 or 5 done easily and they would be there when you needed a lovely gift.  I can easily see this being made in any seasonal fabrics and used over a door handle as decoration.

"Wild Goose Chase Wallet" is a 10 hour project.  Who couldn't use one of these?  I carry a purse but I can think of many occasions where I just want to take a wallet and this would be perfect for those times. 

Call me corny...if you want to....but I have always loved receiving hand made pot holders.  "Jolly Santa Pot Holder is a perfect project for those who have never done any applique and want a small project when learning. Just try and tell me you would not smile if someone made one of these for you (given you are a Christian who celebrates Christmas of course).

 "Pathways Prayer Shawl" also grabbed my attention.  Recently I was at an evening baseball game and it was cold outside.  Several folks had big blankets with them.  How about a quilted shawl to keep you warm during those events?  That certainly is more "me" than a big ole blanket.

Talk about a wonderful gift....even for yourself!  What about giving someone one of these instead of a whole quilt?  It's like a bed runner but it's a "shoulder runner"  LOL.

"Button Checkerboard" is another one of those really neat ideas to give as a gift.  Nothing says you can't make it a chess board too.  

I've only show you 7 of the 40 projects included in Quilted Gifts from your Scraps & Stash.  Yes...I said 40...four zero!!!  The book is only $19.95....that is only 50 cents per project/pattern.  Now I'd certainly say this is a bargain.  The projects are lovely....you know I wouldn't say they were if they weren't....I don't embellish or lie just to get folks to buy a book....y'all know me better than that. 

Speaking of knowing me better than that....I've been a bit quiet lately.  I've been making a secret project that I'm excited about.  Can't blog about it until after it is given away....the person who it is for just might see the post so I'm keeping it under wraps for another week at least.

I hope all is well in your world!

Smiles,

Kelly

A Real Catch

My brother, Cordie, turned 50 this week.  EKKKKKK....you know what that means....I'm next!!  For now, I'll put that out of my thoughts and show you some of his birthday gifts.
 

Yes of course it is a red kitchen towel that says, Gone Fishin' :)  Who do you think taught me to fish?  Yep, you guessed it, Cordie did.

Zach proudly made this towel....he is getting really good at choosing colors and threading the machine (he is 7 years old....so I don't want to hear it is a hard thing to do...ok?  OK! :)

Pillow cases and brand spankin' new pillows too!!!  Took a trip over to the Quilt Foundry and the bolt was almost empty....but there was just enough for these two pillowcases...phew! And yes I had the decency to put a brand new pillow into the other pillowcase too....can't give a 50 year old guy just one ya know :)

When you think the world is too complicated and everything is going to hates in a hand basket....remember my brother, Cordie and you will smile...a wide happy smile...I promise.

My sister, Tracy is on the left and my brother, Cordie is on the right.  I've already shared about Tracy...let me tell you a little about Cordie...something other than he's 50 now....I can't believe he is 50...blows my mind.

Cordie is discovering "sniping" in this photo.....he was tickled beyond belief and almost burst with joy after "snyping" with his two sons.  He has not seen his boys in a few years although he talks to them every few days.  This is the first time he has ever been able to see them....and yes he was using Skype....ROFL.  He had never heard of Skype and had no idea what that was all about and I'm telling you I think it was absolutely the best thing he could have gotten for his birthday....the joy of seeing his sons.  I must say it was a heart warming treat for all of us.

Cordie has been single for years I asked him if he was interested in meeting a woman and he said...."well yes now they would be too old to have more children."  I fell out laughing.  He lives a simple life, he gets up and has some coffee,  goes to work, comes home, eats, takes a nap and visits a friend to watch TV on occasion.   If you think I'm even kidding....I'm not.  That is his life, and he is one of the happiest people I know.  Cordie appreciates everything and many of the things the rest of us would miss.  Every time he calls me he tells me he is standing looking at the beautiful pictures of my children or my family and how much he loves me.  How many men do you know that do that?  He is a rare gem indeed :)

When he opened his gifts he held them....examined them....and beamed with joy.  That's why I love making things for him....he just treasures them. 

Grateful Smiles,
Kelly

Bling Your Thing Challenge Winner and Prizes

I apologize for the wait but several folks had computer problems and I wanted to be sure I had the opportunity to list everyone who wanted to contribute a prize to the Bling Your Thing Challenge. 

From Shelly Stokes from Cedar Canyon Textiles

A very cool way to Bling Your Things with  2 mini Paintstiks, a set of Celebrate Stencils, a Rubbing Plate, a suede square and a Brush.  I'm sure many of you already know Shelly Stokes from Cedar Canyon Textiles, but have you seen some the amazing projects she has been working on lately?  Her blog is full of really fun ways to Bling almost anything!  Shelly even has a new book out, Rubbing Plate Roundup....check it out....I have and it is excellent! 

THANK YOU SHELLY!!!

 From Nadine Ruggles of Dream Weaver Quilts  

  

 Nadine is going to send one very lucky winner a copy of her book, Inchie Quilts and.......

InchieSee & InchieDo Viewer Tool and Ruler Set too.  How cool is that?  I'm so excited for who ever wins because making Inchies is so much fun and a wonderful way to "Bling Something"!!  The Tool and Ruler Set is just what you need to make planning and cutting Inchies easy!  Use the double-sided InchieSee Viewer Tool with the Inchie-sized window to preview light or dark fabrics for Inchies or to fussy cut motifs.  The InchieDo Ruler has very thin lines, open intersections and fussy cut centering marks to make it easy to keep your Inchies on the "straight and square."  Great for Inchies, Twinchies, ATC's and other small scale patchwork and embellishments. Easy to use! Complete instructions and tips included!

By the way, Nadine has an excellent blog as well....you can check it out ...Dream Weaver's Quilts Blog

THANK YOU  NADINE!!!

From I Have A Notion

The IHAN contribution to the Prizes are some of my favorite Bling Things and a book to help the winner explore more ways to explore making Bling, Enchanted Adornments by Cynthia Thornton.  There are two spools of Wonderfil Dazzle Thread, two packages of Bead Gravy, Beading Thread by Nifty Notions, Rhinestones by Guterman, some Frieze Thread and a few peacock feathers too.  Just some fun things I thought someone would enjoy.

From Dave Riba of Kandi Corp :

Kandi's Professional Touch Rhinestone Applicator and some Crystals too!!!  You all know how much I like my Professional Touch Rhinestone Applicator....now a very lucky IHAN blog reader will have the opportunity to enjoy one too.  The one that will be shipped to the winner will be red and black...not purple...but it is the same exact wonderful and fun applicator :)

Kandi Corp has free Projects on their website, you can click here to see all the fun things you can do with a Professional Touch Rhinestone Applicator.     Beware, it is addictive and I don't want anyone to say I didn't warn you :)

THANK YOU DAVE!!!

NOW ON TO THE ENTRANTS AND WINNERS

I want to thank all of you who participated and sent photos of your Bling Your Thing projects....

THANK YOU:  Mary, Gene, Karin, Diane, Jean F., Colby, Mary Grace, Lisa, Beth, Jackie, Allie, Sandra, Janet, Jean O., and Bern.  

 As you can see, I typed up every one's names and put each name into a hat (quit laughing...it's not my hat...it belongs to one of my coworkers :)

 Then I drew out one name and paired it with a prize so there would be a total of 4 opportunities to win.  Y'all know me....got to spread the fun stuff all around.

 And  the winners are :

Congratulations Allie, you have won the Professional Touch Rhinestone Applicator and Crystals from Kandi Corp.


Congratulations Beth, you have won Inchie Quilts  and InchieSee & InchieDo Viewer Tool and Ruler Set from Dream Weaver Quilts.


Congratulations Colby, you have won the Paintstiks Kit with stencils, a rubbing plate, a brush and suede from Cedar Canyon Textiles.

Congratulations Mary Grace,  you have won the IHAN gift assortment.

Now all you have to do to claim your prize is to send an e-mail to IHaveANotion@yahoo.com with your full name, address and phone number.

I also want to thank all of you who stopped by and left comments.  I hope everyone had some fun and was inspired to take a risk and "Bling Something"!!  :)

Very Happy Smiles,
Kelly